How to Grow Knol Khol?

Knol Khol Overview

Does Knol Khol look like no other vegetable you’ve ever seen? It is actually a variety (breed or race) of the species Brassica oleracea, to which cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower also belong.

It is known by many different names, like Navalkol, Ganth Gobi, and so on. But, it is most commonly known as Kohlrabi.

There are two main varieties of kholrabi, white and purple. However, internally, both the “white” (actually light green color) as well as the purple types have similar cream-yellow color edible flesh. Kohlrabi has a similar taste and texture as that of a broccoli stem or cabbage, but milder and sweeter.

This document focuses on growing Knol Khol.

Table 1 Planting Guide

Knol Khol Prerequisites

• Light: Full Sun
• Water: When it comes to watering knol khol in container gardens, keep the potting soil constantly moist

Knol Khol Growing Steps

The following steps define the process from seed to harvest.

1. You must sow the heirloom seeds of knol khol from My Green Vault in pro trays and then transplant. For more information on sowing seeds and germination tips, refer to ***.

2. Prepare your knol khol for transplanting once the plants have reached at least 1/2-foot in height.

3. While you transplant the seedlings, ensure to maintain specified distance between each plant.

4. Prepare a good growing medium. A good, simple option is a mix of two parts potting soil, one part Coco Peat (CP) and one part Vermi Compost (VC). The soil and VC provides your plant with the nutrients it needs, while the CP mix retains the moisture.

5. Place your pot in a sunny location.

Knol Khol Plant Maintenance

Knol khol require evenly moist soil to ensure the best and fast growth. Do not over water or allow the soil to dry out.

1. Knol khol are heavy feeders. To help promote greater plant productivity, add adequate amount of VC or Compost Tea (CT).

Note: For more information on CT preparation and application, refer to ***.

2. Make sure your knol khol receive at least 1“-1 1/2” of water a week.

Knol Khol Companion Plants

• Beets, celery, herbs, onions.

Knol Khol Plant Protection

Knol Khol Pests

• Aphids
• Mustard sawfly
• Semi looper
• Caterpillars and beetles

Knol Khol Diseases

• Nematode
• Leaf spot
• Club root
• Black rot
• Root fly

Knol Khol Organic Control

Once you have identified the troublemakers, you can control them with an assortment of organic pest-control methods. The following list contains few methods:

a. Semi looper

– Remove the affected terminal shoot showing boreholes

– Remove the affected fruits and destroy

– Spray Neem oil

Note: For more information on neem oil dilution and application, refer to ***.

b. Thrips

– For mild to moderate problems, such as only a small percentage of leaves being affected, just remove the leaves that have the pest problem

– – Blue sticky traps

– – Spray Neem oil every alternate day

c. Mustard sawfly

– Collection and destruction of grubs of saw fly in morning and evening

d. Caterpillars and beetles

– Hand pick off the plants

– Dislodge with jet water spray

e. Nematode

– Treat the seeds with Trichoderma viride or Pseudomonas fluorescens 24 hours before sowing

– Apply Pseudomonas fluorescens as soil application

– Avoid water stagnation

f. Aphids

– Spray home made garlic and insecticidal soap solution

Note: For more information on preparation and application of garlic and insecticidal soap spray, refer to ***.

g. Leaf spot

– Remove the affected plants in the early stages to control the vector

h. Club root

– Improve drainage and raise the soil pH by liming

– Consider using club root resistant varieties

i. Black rot

– Spray a dilute raw milk and water solution to suppress the to acceptable levels

j. Root fly

– Companion planting with very aromatic plants such as, garlic, basil, marigolds, and so on, can reduce the females ability to find the host plant to lay eggs and multiply

– Covering the plants with a fine mesh will prevent the fly adults from reaching the plants

Knol Khol Harvesting

Your organic knol khol’s are ready for harvest when the swollen stem reach a diameter of 5 to 7 cm and before it becomes tough and woody.

The time from planting to harvest is 50 to 65 days from transplants. Pull out the plants and eat them raw!